Display-rack for curtains



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

. J STRASSNER DISPLAY RACK FOR GURTAINS.

Patented Sept. 22, 1891.

JiseE/ZZStva-ssneza 0., wow-mun mpnmman a c NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH STRASSNER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DISPLAY-RACK FOR CURTAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,043, dated September 22, 1891.

Application filed February 24, 1891. Serial No. 382,584. (No modal.)

To aZZ whmn, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH STRAssNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Display Rack for Curtains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to display racks or stands; and the objects in view are to provide a structure to be set up in retail and wholesale curtain-stores and adapted to support in a suspended compact manner a series of pairs of curtains, each of which pairs may be successively drawn out for the purpose of inspection, and when released will be automatically returned to their packed positions.

With the above objects in view the invention consists in certain features of construction hereinafter specified, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a show-rack constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail in elevation of one of the curtain-supporting carriers.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In practicing my invention I secure to the ceiling of a show-room opposite pairs of depending hangers 1, each pair of which is connected by an upper cross-bar 2, located near the lower ends of the hangers, and a lower cross-bar 3, located at said ends. One crossbar 2 is elevated or located in a plane above the other cross-bar, while the two lower crossbars are in the same plane. The two lower cross-bars are connected by side bars 4, and the frame-work thus constructed is braced by diagonal guy-wires 5, connected at their lower ends to the hangers 1 and at their upper ends to the ceiling.

Each pair of cross-bars 2 and 3 is provided with vertically-opposite screw-eyes 6, the vertically-opposite pair at one side of the struot ure being located opposite those of the remaining pair of bars, and the eyes of the two upper bars are connected by track-wires 7, and in a similar manner are the eyes of the lower bars connected by track-wires 8, so that the upper wires form inclined ways and the lower wires horizontal ways, the two diverging toward what I shall forconvenience call the front or operative side of the machine.

In advance of the frontdepending hangers 1 there is located a frame 9,which is connected to the ceiling and extends down below the track-wires, said frame being connected to the adjacent lower cross-bar 3 by means of braces 10, which braces support a transverse bar 11. A ticket-board 12 is secured to the depending frame 9, and upon the same opposite each pair of diverging track-wires may be attached the price and quality of the curtains supported, as hereinafter described, upon that particular track.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 3, it will be seen that I have provided a carriage for running upon the track and between the diverging track-wires. This carriage consists of an upper bar 14 and alower bar 15, each of which is provided upon its upper side and near its ends with standards 16, which embrace the upper and'lower track-wires, and above and below said track-wires said standards have grooved rollers 17, designed to run either upon the under side or upper side of the track. The bars 15 and 14 are connected to each other by an inclined bar 18 through the medium of a pair of U-shaped links 19, connected to diagonallybpposite ends of said bars la and 15. The upper bar 14 is provided at its front end with an eye 20, and a similar eye is located upon the upper side of the diagonal bar 18 slightly above the center of the same and also upon the under side of said bar, the latter being connected by a coiled spring 21 to a rigid stirrup or standard 22, rising from the lower bar at the rear end of the same. The two eyes 20 first mentioned are likewise connected by a coiled spring 21, so that the two springs exert a tendency to draw the two bars '14 and 15 together. From the upper bar rises a standard 22, and to the lower bar, in eyes 23, there is supported a pair of curtain-rods 24 to'which pairs of curtains may be attached and draped. Like cords or ropes 24 are connected to the standards 22, and each cord or rope passes through an eye 25, located above the front end of the track and is continued on and secured to an eye 26, located in advance of the eye 25. Upon each of these ropes, between these eyes justmentioned, small pulleys 27 are located, and pulling-ropes28 depend from each pulley through guide-eyes 2t), projecting from the bar 11, and are connected to hooks 30, projecting from the lower cross-bar of the frame 9, from which said ropes may be disconnected and resecured at a higher point, as will hereinafter appear.

This completes the construction of my apparatus, and the operation of the same is as follows: It will be observed that the springs 21 of the carriers are distended when the carriers are at the widest portions of their tracks, and that if released at those portions they will automatically return to the narrowest portions, which is the rear of the apparatus. Hence the normal position of each carrier is at the rear end of the exhibitor, and in this manner a large number of cur ains may be held suspended and draped. In exhibiting the curtains it is simply necessary to draw upon one of the cords or ropes 28 connected with that pair of curtains which it is desired to exhibit, whereupon the carrier and the curtains supported thereby will be drawn to the front of the apparatus, at which point it may be retained by connecting the cord or rope 28 with the hook of the frame 9. If desired, two or more curtains may be drawn out simultaneously, provided the tracks are long enough, and thus compared, after which by releasing the ropes 28 the springs 21 drawing the upper and lower bars of the carriers together, and the inclined upper wire causes the carrier or carriers to return to their normal positions at the rear end of the apparatus.

From the above construction it will be seen that I may provide a comparatively cheap and very simple device for conveniently supporting and exhibiting to a better advantage lace curtains, portieres, &c., and thus avoid the inconvenient and poor way of throwing the same over the backs of chairs, counters, or other convenient handy objects.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In an exhibiting apparatus, the combination, with diverging tracks, of a on rtain-exhibiting carriage comprising upper and lower bars, loose connections between the same, havin g grooved rollers embracing the wires of the tracks, springs for normally drawing the bars toward each other, and a rope connected with each carriage, substantially as specified.

2. In an'exhibiting apparatus, the combination, with opposite pairs of depending supporting-standards, cross-bars connecting each pair of standards, the upper bar of one pair of standards being arranged above the corresponding bar of the opposite pair of standards, corresponding eyes located in said cross-bars, track-wires connecting the eyes of one pair of bars with those of the opposite pair of bars,

pairs of eyes located in rear of the front pair of hangers opposite each track, and a frame located in rear of said eyes and provided at its lower end with fastening devices, of the carriers consisting of upper and lower bars, springs for connecting the same and drawing them toward each other, ropes connected to the carriers, passed through the eyes in front of the standards, and connected to the front eyes, pulleys mounted upon the ropes between the eyes, and ropes depending from the pulleys and connected to the fastening devices, substantially as specified.

3. In an exhibiting apparatus, the combination, with the horizontal track-wires and the inclined track-wires, together with their supports, of the curtain-carriers consisting of the upper and lower bars, each provided with pairs of vertical standards embracing the wires, pairs of pulleys mounted in each standard and moving on the wires, links extendin g from the adjacent sides and at diagonallyopposite ends of the bars, an inclined bar pivoted to the links, standards extending from the diagonally-opposite ends of the bars, and springs connected to the standards and the inclined bar, substantially as specified.

4. In an exhibiting apparatus, the combination, with the upper and lower tracks converging toward each other at one end, combined with the carriage comprising upper and lower trucks, each provided with rollers and moving on-its respective track, said trucks being hinged together, of contracting springs connecting the two trucks of the carriage and serving to move the carriage toward the converged end of the track, and means for returning the carriage to the starting-point and retaining the same in position, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH STRASSNER.

Witnesses: V CHAS. T. I-IAMBLEY, HARRY H. PHILLIPs. 

